KR102593473B1 - Aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of forming an aerosol delivery device inductor coil includes providing a litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, where each of the plurality of wire strands includes a bondable coating. The method further includes forming an inductor coil with Litz wire on the support member, where the inductor coil has a predetermined shape. The method further includes activating the bondable coating such that the inductor coil substantially maintains the predetermined shape, and removing the inductor coil from the support member.

Description

Aerosol delivery device

The present invention relates to a method of forming an inductor coil for an aerosol-providing device, and to an aerosol-providing device.

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, etc. produce tobacco smoke by burning tobacco during use. There have been attempts to provide alternatives to these cigarette-burning products by creating products that release compounds without burning them. Examples of such products are heating devices that release compounds by heating the material without burning it. The material may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming an aerosol-providing device inductor coil is provided, the method comprising:

Providing a litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, each of the plurality of wire strands comprising a bondable coating;

forming an inductor coil with litz wire on a support member, the inductor coil having a predetermined shape;

activating the couplerable coating such that the inductor coil substantially maintains a predetermined shape; and

and removing the inductor coil from the support member.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an aerosol-providing device induction coil formed from a Litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, each of the wire strands having a bondable coating, and the aerosol-providing device induction coil supporting The attachable coating is activated to substantially maintain its shape in the absence of the member.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are provided by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a front view of an example of an aerosol delivery device.
Figure 2 shows a front view of the aerosol delivery device of Figure 1 with the outer cover removed.
Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol presentation device of Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the aerosol presentation device of Figure 2.
Figure 5A shows a cross-sectional view of the heating assembly within the aerosol delivery device.
Figure 5B shows an enlarged view of a portion of the heating assembly of Figure 5A.
Figure 6 shows a perspective view of first and second inductor coils wound around an insulating member.
7 shows a flow diagram of an example method of forming an inductor coil.
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the manufacturing equipment used to form the inductor coil.
Figure 9 shows a perspective view of first and second inductor coils connected to a printed circuit board.
Figure 10 shows a top view of the inductor coil.

As used herein, the term “aerosol-generating material” includes materials that provide components that volatilize upon heating, typically in the form of an aerosol. Aerosol-generating materials include any tobacco-containing material and may include, for example, one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, puffed tobacco, regenerated tobacco or tobacco substitutes. Aerosol-generating materials may also include other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine depending on the product. Aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of, for example, solids, liquids, gels, waxes, etc. Aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, combinations or blends of materials. Aerosol-generating materials may also be known as “smokable materials.”

Devices are known for heating aerosol-generating materials to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol that can be inhaled without burning or combusting the aerosol-generating material. Such devices are often described as “aerosol-generating devices,” “aerosol-providing devices,” “heat-not-burn devices,” “tobacco heating product devices,” or “tobacco heating devices.” Similarly, there are also so-called electronic cigarette devices, which typically vaporize aerosol-generating materials in liquid form, which may or may not contain nicotine. The aerosol-generating material may be provided in the form of, or part of, a rod, cartridge, or cassette that can be inserted into the device. A heater for heating and vaporizing the aerosol-generating material may be provided as a “permanent” part of the device.

An aerosol-providing device can contain an article containing aerosol-generating material for heating. An “article” in this context is a component that contains or holds an aerosol-generating material during use and is heated to vaporize the aerosol-generating material, and optionally other components in use. A user may insert the article into an aerosol presentation device before the article is heated to generate the aerosol, and the user then inhales the aerosol. An article may have a predetermined or specific size, for example, configured for placement within a heating chamber of a device sized to accommodate the article.

A first aspect of the disclosure defines a method of forming an inductor coil for use in an aerosol delivery device. The method starts with Litz wire/cable. Litz wire is a wire containing a plurality of wire strands and is used to carry alternating current. Litz wire is used to reduce skin effect losses in a conductor and includes a plurality of individual insulated wires that are twisted or braided together. As a result of these turns, the proportion of the total length that each strand has outside the conductor is equal. This has the effect of distributing the alternating current equally to the wire strands and reducing resistance in the wire. In some examples, the litz wire includes multiple bundles of wire strands, where the wire strands of each bundle are twisted together. Bundles of wires are twisted/woven together in a similar manner.

In the present disclosure, each of the plurality of wire strands includes a joinable coating. A bondable coating is a coating that surrounds each wire strand and can be activated (e.g., heated), thereby bonding the strands within the Ritz wire to one or more neighboring strands. The bondable coating causes the Litz wire to be formed into the shape of the inductor coil on the support member, and after the bondable coating is activated, the inductor coil will maintain its shape. Therefore, the bondable coating “sets” the shape of the inductor coil. In some examples, the bondable coating is an electrically insulating layer surrounding a conductive core. However, the bondable coating and the insulator may be separate layers, with the bondable coating surrounding the insulating layer. In one example, the conductive core of the Litz wire includes copper.

The Litz wire (now in the shape of the inductor coil) can be removed from the support member without losing its shape. The support member is a structure used to form the Litz wire into a predetermined shape (i.e., the shape of an inductor coil). Accordingly, the support member maintains the Litz wire in a predetermined shape when the bondable coating is activated.

Therefore, the exemplary method provides an inductor coil that is more likely to maintain its shape over time. Therefore, after the devices are assembled, the desired heating effect can be maintained longer, which increases the lifespan of the device and ensures that the inductor coil is operating most efficiently. This is in contrast to devices with inductor coils that can deform or warp over time. The method also provides greater flexibility during fabrication of the device. For example, inductor coils can be prepared prior to the assembly process rather than when the device is assembled.

The above method can be used to form inductor coils for use in aerosol delivery devices. In some examples, the device may include two or more inductor coils. Each inductor coil is arranged to generate a variable magnetic field, which penetrates the susceptor. As will be discussed in more detail herein, a susceptor is an electrically conductive object that can be heated by variable magnetic fields. An article containing aerosol-generating material may be contained within the susceptor or arranged near or in contact with the susceptor. Once heated, the susceptor transfers the heat to the aerosol-generating material, which emits an aerosol.

In a specific example, forming the inductor coil includes winding a Litz wire around a support member to form a helical inductor coil. Accordingly, the inductor coil may have a spiral shape. For example, the support member may be tubular or cylindrical and the Litz wire may be coiled/wound in a predetermined helical shape around the support member. Therefore, the support member may have an external cross-section defining a predetermined shape. For example, the support member can have a first outer cross-section and the helical coil can have a second inner cross-section, where the first outer cross-section and the second inner cross-section are substantially equal. The first and second cross-sections may, for example, be circular in shape. By winding the Litz wire around the support member and along the length of the support member, a helical inductor coil can be formed.

The method may further include receiving the inductor coil on the insulating member/support after removing the inductor coil from the support member. The insulating member may be, for example, a component disposed within the aerosol presentation device. The insulating member may have a third outer cross-section that is substantially the same as the first outer cross-section.

In other examples, the inductor coil may have a flat shape, a curved shape, or a shape such as a hyperbolic paraboloid.

The predetermined shape may have connection portions at one or more ends of the inductor coil for connecting the inductor coil to a power source. In other words, at least one end of the inductor coil and Litz wire may define a connection portion. There may be a connection portion at each end of the inductor coil. The connection portion(s) may be connectable to a circuit, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). The method may include immersing the joint in solder for a period of time. The molten solder acts to melt or otherwise remove insulation from the plurality of wire strands and create good electrical contact between each of the wire strands and the component to which the inductor coil is connected. Accordingly, at the connection portion, each (or most) of the wire strands are electrically connected to each other via solder that adheres/bonds them to the inductor coil. The connection portion includes portions (e.g., ends) of the inductor coil that are connected to the power source.

The period of time during which the joint is dipped into the solder may be, for example, from about 2 seconds to about 6 seconds, or from about 3 seconds to about 5 seconds. This length of time has been found to provide a good balance between removing the insulation (and bondable coating) from the wire strands without damaging the conductive cores of the wire strands and creating a good electrical connection. Preferably, the time period is about 4 seconds to about 5 seconds. This provides a good balance between the considerations mentioned above.

The solder into which the joint portion is dipped may have a temperature of about 400°C to about 500°C, or about 400°C to about 450°C. Solder at this temperature has been found to be suitable for removing insulation (and bondable coating) from wire strands without damaging the conductive cores of the wire strands. Preferably, the solder can have a temperature of about 450°C.

Activating the bondable coating may include heating the bondable coating. For example, after the inductor coil is formed on the support member, the Litz wire may be heated to cause the bondable coating on each of the wire strands to self-bond such that the inductor coil undergoes thermal curing. In certain examples, heating the bondable coating includes heating the bondable coating to a bonding temperature of about 180 to 200 degrees Celsius.

In another example, the bondable coating can be activated via a solvent.

The method may further include cooling the inductor coil after activating the bondable coating. This process causes the bondable coating to cool, thereby setting the shape of the inductor coil. Cooling the inductor coil may include passing air over the inductor coil. For example, an air gun or fan can blow air over the inductor coil. Using an air gun or fan can accelerate the cooling process.

As mentioned above, the inductor coil may include two connecting portions, one connecting portion being arranged towards each end of the inductor coil. In one example, the predetermined shape includes two connecting portions, both of which lie substantially in the same plane, and forming the inductor coil includes at least one of the connecting portions. and bending the at least one connecting portion to lie in a plane. For example, the two ends of the inductor coil may lie on an axis parallel to the axis defined by the inductor coils (also parallel to the longitudinal axis of the susceptor in the assembled aerosol presentation device). The planes can be arranged so that they are tangential to the inductor coil.

Bending at least one of the connecting portions may include bending at about 90 degrees. In a specific example, the first connecting portion extends tangentially from the helically wound inductor coil, and the second connecting portion is bent about 90 degrees from the tangential direction to lie in the same plane as the first connecting portion. The second connection portion may initially extend tangentially from the inductor coil before bending.

Winding the Litz wire may include winding the Litz wire around the support member approximately 5 to 9 times. Accordingly, an inductor coil including about 5 to 9 turns can be formed. In one example, a first inductor coil is formed having about 6 to 7 turns, such as about 6.75 turns. Accordingly, winding the Litz wire includes winding the Litz wire around the support member about 6 to 7 turns, such as about 6.75 turns. In another example, a second inductor coil is formed having about 8 to 9 turns, such as about 8.75 turns. Accordingly, winding the Litz wire includes winding the Litz wire around the support member about 8 to 9 turns, such as about 8.75 turns. A turn is one complete rotation around an axis.

The Litz wire may have a laying direction, and forming the inductor coil may include winding the Litz wire in the same direction as the laying direction. Therefore, the laying direction complements the winding direction, which means that the wire strands within the Litz wire are less likely to twist or unravel.

The bondable coating may include enamel.

In one example, the individual wires are Thermobond STP18 wires commercially available from Elektrisola Inc. of New Hampshire. These wires have been found to provide good suitability for use in aerosol delivery devices. For example, these wires have a relatively high bonding temperature so that the heated susceptor of the device does not cause the bondable coating to re-soften.

In a second aspect, the aerosol-presenting device induction coil is formed from a Litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, each of the wire strands having a bondable coating, and the aerosol-presenting device induction coil having its own shape in the absence of a support member. The bondable coating is activated to maintain substantially.

The induction coil has a connecting portion at one end that is coated with solder to make electrical contact with substantially all of the wire strands of the Litz wire.

The method described above can be repeated to form a second inductor coil for the aerosol delivery device. In one example method, a first inductor coil is formed and a second inductor coil is formed, where the first inductor coil has a shorter length than the second inductor coil. In a specific example, forming the first inductor coil includes winding the first Litz wire around a support member over a first length to form a first helical inductor coil, and forming a second inductor coil. The step includes winding the second Litz wire around the support member over a second length to form a second helical inductor coil, where the first length is shorter than the second length.

The first length (of the first inductor coil) may be from about 15 mm to about 20 mm, and the second length (of the second inductor coil) may be from about 25 mm to about 30 mm. More specifically, the first length may be approximately 19 mm (±1 mm) and the second length may be approximately 28 mm (±1 mm). These lengths were found to be suitable to provide effective heating of the susceptor while reducing hot puffs.

The first inductor coil may include a first Litz wire having a length of about 250 mm to about 300 mm, and the second inductor coil may include a second Litz wire having a length of about 400 mm to about 450 mm. In other words, the length of the wire within each coil is the length when the coil is unwound. For example, the first litz wire may have a length of about 280 mm to about 290 mm, and the second litz wire may have a length of about 415 mm to about 425 mm. In a particular arrangement, the first Litz wire has a length of approximately 285 mm and the second Litz wire has a length of approximately 420 mm. These lengths were found to be suitable to provide effective heating of the susceptor while reducing hot puffs.

The first inductor coil may include gaps between successive turns, and each gap may have a length of approximately 0.9 mm. The second inductor coil includes gaps between successive turns, each gap having a length of approximately 1 mm. This means that the heating effect of the susceptor arrangement may be different for each inductor coil. More generally, the gaps between successive turns may be different for each inductor coil. The gap length is measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device/susceptor. A gap is a portion of the coil where the wires are absent (i.e. there is space between successive turns).

The first inductor coil may have a mass of about 2 g to about 3 g, and the second inductor coil may have a mass of about 3 g to about 4 g. For example, the first mass can be less than about 3 grams or less than about 2.5 grams and the second mass can be greater than about 3 grams or greater than about 3.5 grams. In a particular arrangement, the first inductor coil has a mass of about 2.4 g and the second inductor coil has a mass of about 3.5 g.

1 shows an example of an aerosol providing device 100 for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium/material. Broadly speaking, device 100 may be used to heat a replaceable article 110 containing an aerosol-generating medium to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium that is inhaled by a user of device 100.

Device 100 includes a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) that surrounds and accommodates the various components of device 100. Device 100 has an opening 104 at one end through which an article 110 may be inserted for heating by the heating assembly. In use, article 110 may be fully or partially inserted into a heating assembly, where the article 110 may be heated by one or more components of the heating assembly.

Device 100 of this example includes a first end member 106 that includes a cover 108, the cover 108 having a first end to close the opening 104 when the article 110 is not in place. It is movable relative to the member 106. In Figure 1, lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, however lid 108 can be moved to a closed configuration. For example, the user may cause lid 108 to slide in the direction of arrow “A”.

Device 100 may also include a user-operable control element 112, such as a button or switch, that when pressed, operates device 100. For example, the user can turn on the device 100 by operating the switch 112.

Device 100 may also include electrical components, such as socket/port 114, that may receive a cable for charging a battery of device 100. For example, socket 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.

FIG. 2 depicts the device 100 of FIG. 1 with the outer cover 102 removed and the article 110 not present. Device 100 defines a longitudinal axis 134.

As shown in FIG. 2 , first end member 106 is arranged at one end of device 100 and second end member 116 is arranged at an opposite end of device 100 . First and second end members 106, 116 together at least partially define the end surfaces of device 100. For example, the bottom surface of second end member 116 at least partially defines the bottom surface of device 100. The edges of outer cover 102 may also define some of the end surfaces. In this example, lid 108 also defines a portion of the top surface of device 100.

The end of the device closest to opening 104 may be known as the proximal end (or mouse end) of device 100 because it is closest to the user's mouth during use. During use, the user inserts the article 110 into the opening 104, operates the user control 112 to initiate heating of the aerosol-generating material, and aspirates the aerosol generated by the device. This causes the aerosol to flow through device 100 along the flow path toward the proximal end of device 100.

The other end of the device furthest away from opening 104 may be known as the distal end of device 100 because it is the end furthest away from the user's mouth during use. As the user inhales the aerosol generated by the device, the aerosol flows away from the distal end of device 100.

Device 100 further includes a power source 118. Power source 118 may be, for example, a battery, such as a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium batteries (e.g., lithium-ion batteries), nickel batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium batteries), and alkaline batteries. The battery is electrically coupled to the heating assembly to supply electrical power when needed under the control of a controller (not shown) to heat the aerosol-generating material. In this example, the battery is connected to a central support 120 that holds the battery 118 in place.

The device further includes at least one electronic module 122. The electronic module 122 may include, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). PCB 122 may support at least one controller, such as a processor, and memory. PCB 122 may also include one or more electrical tracks to electrically connect the various electronic components of device 100 to each other. For example, battery terminals may be electrically connected to PCB 122 so that power may be distributed throughout device 100. Socket 114 may also be electrically coupled to the battery via electrical tracks.

In the example device 100, the heating assembly is an induction heating assembly and includes various components for heating the aerosol-generating material of the article 110 through an induction heating process. Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically conductive object (such as a susceptor) by electromagnetic induction. An induction heating assembly may include an inductive element, such as one or more inductor coils, and a device for delivering a variable current, such as an alternating current, through the inductive element. A variable current in the inductive element creates a variable magnetic field. The variable magnetic field penetrates a susceptor suitably positioned relative to the inductive element and generates eddy currents within the susceptor. The susceptor has an electrical resistance to eddy currents, so that the flow of eddy currents against this resistance causes the susceptor to heat up by Joule heating. In cases where the susceptor contains a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, nickel or cobalt, heat is also generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in the susceptor, i.e. in the magnetic material as a result of the alignment of magnetic dipoles with a variable magnetic field. It can be created by various orientations of magnetic dipoles. In induction heating, compared to heating by conduction, for example, heat is generated inside the susceptor, allowing rapid heating. Moreover, no physical contact is required between the induction heater and the susceptor, allowing improved freedom of configuration and application.

The induction heating assembly of the example device 100 includes a susceptor arrangement 132 (referred to herein as a “susceptor”), a first inductor coil 124, and a second inductor coil 126. The first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 are made of electrically conductive material. In this example, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made of Litz wire/cable that is wound in a helical form to provide helical inductor coils 124, 126. Litz wire includes a plurality of individual wires that are individually insulated and twisted together to form a single wire. Litz wires are designed to reduce skin effect losses in the conductor. In the example of device 100, first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made of copper Litz wire with a rectangular cross-section. In other examples, the Litz wire may have a cross-section of another shape, such as circular.

The first inductor coil 124 is configured to generate a first variable magnetic field for heating the first section of the susceptor 132, and the second inductor coil 126 is configured to heat the second section of the susceptor 132. It is configured to generate a second variable magnetic field for heating. In this example, first inductor coil 124 is adjacent second inductor coil 126 in a direction along longitudinal axis 134 of device 100 (i.e., first and second inductor coils 124, 126 ) do not overlap). The susceptor arrangement 132 may include a single susceptor, or two or more separate susceptors. Ends 130 of the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 may be connected to the PCB 122 .

It will be appreciated that the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 may, in some examples, have at least one characteristic that is different from each other. For example, the first inductor coil 124 may have at least one characteristic different from the second inductor coil 126. More specifically, in one example, the first inductor coil 124 may have a different inductance value than the second inductor coil 126. 2, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are of different lengths such that the first inductor coil 124 is wound on a smaller section of the susceptor 132 than the second inductor coil 126. have them Accordingly, the first inductor coil 124 may include a different number of turns than the second inductor coil 126 (assuming the spacing between individual turns is substantially the same). In another example, first inductor coil 124 may be made of a different material than second inductor coil 126. In some examples, the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 may be substantially identical.

In this example, first inductor coil 124 and second inductor coil 126 are wound in opposite directions. This can be useful when inductor coils are activated at different times. For example, initially, first inductor coil 124 may be operating to heat a first section of article 110 and later, second inductor coil 126 may be operating to heat a second section of article 110. It may be operating to heat. Winding the coil in opposite directions helps reduce the current drawn in the inactive coil when used with certain types of control circuitry. In Figure 2, the first inductor coil 124 is a right-hand helix and the second inductor coil 126 is a left-hand helix. However, in other embodiments, the inductor coils 124, 126 may be wound in the same direction, or the first inductor coil 124 may be a left-hand helix and the second inductor coil 126 may be a right-hand helix. .

The susceptor 132 in this example is hollow and thus defines a receptacle in which the aerosol-generating material is received. For example, article 110 may be inserted into susceptor 132 . In this example, susceptor 120 is tubular with a circular cross-section.

The device 100 of FIG. 2 further includes an insulating member 128 that is generally tubular and may at least partially surround the susceptor 132. The insulating member 128 may be composed of any insulating material, such as plastic, for example. In this particular example, the insulating member is comprised of polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Insulating member 128 may help insulate various components of device 100 from heat generated by susceptor 132.

The insulating member 128 may also fully or partially support the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are positioned around the insulating member 128 and contact the radially outer surface of the insulating member 128. In some examples, the insulating member 128 does not contact the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126. For example, a small gap may exist between the outer surface of the insulating member 128 and the inner surface of the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126.

In a particular example, susceptor 132, insulation member 128, and first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of susceptor 132.

Figure 3 shows a side view of device 100 in partial cross-section. An outer cover 102 is present in this example. The rectangular cross-sectional shape of the first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 is more clearly visible.

Device 100 further includes a support 136 that engages one end of susceptor 132 to hold susceptor 132 in place. Support 136 is connected to second end member 116 .

The device may also include a second printed circuit board 138 associated within the control element 112.

Device 100 further includes a second cover/cap 140 and spring 142, arranged toward the distal end of device 100. Spring 142 allows second cover 140 to open to provide access to susceptor 132. A user may open the second cover 140 to clean the susceptor 132 and/or support 136.

Device 100 further includes an expansion chamber 144 extending away from the proximal end of susceptor 132 toward an opening 104 of the device. Located at least partially within the expansion chamber 144 is a retaining clip 146 for abutting and retaining the article 110 when received within the device 100 . Expansion chamber 144 is connected to end member 106.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the device 100 of FIG. 1 with the outer cover 102 omitted.

FIG. 5A depicts a cross-sectional view of a portion of device 100 of FIG. 1 . Figure 5b depicts an enlarged view of the area of Figure 5a. 5A and 5B show an article 110 housed within a susceptor 132, where the dimensions of the article 110 are such that the exterior surface of the article 110 abuts the interior surface of the susceptor 132. This ensures that heating is most efficient. Article 110 in this example includes aerosol-generating material 110a. Aerosol-generating material 110a is located within susceptor 132. Article 110 may also include other components, such as filters, packaging materials, and/or cooling structures.

5B shows that the outer surface of the susceptor 132 is spaced from the inner surface of the inductor coils 124 and 126 by a distance 150 measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. It shows. In one particular example, distance 150 is about 3 mm to 4 mm, about 3 mm to 3.5 mm, or about 3.25 mm.

5B shows that the outer surface of the insulating member 128 is spaced from the inner surface of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 152 measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. Additionally shown. In one particular example, distance 152 is approximately 0.05 mm. In another example, distance 152 is substantially 0 mm, such that inductor coils 124, 126 abut and contact insulating member 128.

In one example, susceptor 132 has a wall thickness 154 of about 0.025 mm to 1 mm, or about 0.05 mm.

In one example, susceptor 132 has a length of about 40 mm to 60 mm, about 40 mm to 45 mm, or about 44.5 mm.

In one example, the insulating member 128 has a wall thickness 156 of about 0.25 mm to 2 mm, 0.25 mm to 1 mm, or about 0.5 mm.

6 depicts a portion of the heating assembly of device 100. As briefly mentioned above, the heating assembly includes a first inductor coil 124 and a second inductor coil 126 arranged adjacent to each other in a direction along axis 200. Inductor coils 124, 126 extend helically around insulating member 128. The susceptor 132 is arranged within the tubular insulating member 128. In this example, the wires forming the first and second inductor coils have a circular cross-section, but they may have a cross-section of a different shape, such as a rectangular cross-section.

Axis 200 may be defined by, for example, one or both inductor coils 124 and 126. Axis 200 is parallel to longitudinal axis 134 of device 100 and parallel to longitudinal axis of susceptor 158. Therefore, each inductor coil 124, 126 extends around axis 200. Alternatively, axis 200 may be defined by insulating member 128 or susceptor 132.

During use, first inductor coil 124 is initially activated. This causes the first section of the susceptor 132 (i.e., the section of the susceptor 132 surrounded by the first inductor coil 124) to heat, which in turn heats the first portion of the aerosol-generating material. Later, the first inductor coil 124 can be switched off and the second inductor coil 126 can be activated. This causes the second section of the susceptor 132 (i.e., the section of the susceptor 132 surrounded by the second inductor coil 126) to heat, which in turn heats the second portion of the aerosol-generating material. The second inductor coil 126 can be switched on while the first inductor coil 124 is operating, and the first inductor coil 124 can be switched off while the second inductor coil 126 continues to operate. . Alternatively, the first inductor coil 124 may be switched off before the second inductor coil 126 is switched on. The controller can control when each inductor coil is operated/energized.

In some examples, the length 202 of the first inductor coil 124 is shorter than the length 204 of the second inductor coil 126. The length of each inductor coil is measured in a direction parallel to the axis 200 of the inductor coils 124 and 126. The first shorter inductor coil 124 may be arranged closer to the mouth end (proximal end) of device 100 than the second inductor coil 126 . When the aerosol-generating material is heated, an aerosol is released. When the user inhales, the aerosol is drawn toward the mouth end of the device 100 in the direction of arrow 206. The aerosol exits device 100 through opening/mouthpiece 104 and is inhaled by the user. The first inductor coil 124 is arranged closer to the opening 104 than the second inductor coil 126.

In this example, first inductor coil 124 has a length 202 of approximately 20 mm and second inductor coil 126 has a length 204 of approximately 30 mm. The first wire wound helically to form the first inductor coil 124 has an unwound length of approximately 285 mm. The second wire that is wound helically to form the second inductor coil 126 has an unwound length of approximately 420 mm.

Each inductor coil 124, 126 is formed of a Litz wire including a plurality of wire strands. For example, each Litz wire may have about 50 to about 150 wire strands. In this example, each Litz wire has approximately 75 wire strands. In some examples, the wire strands are grouped into two or more bundles, where each bundle includes a number of wire strands such that the wire strands of all bundles are added to the total number of wire strands. In this example, there are 5 bundles of 15 wire strands.

Each of the wire strands has a diameter. For example, the diameter may be about 0.05 mm to about 0.2 mm. In some examples, the diameter is between 34 AWG (0.16 mm) and 40 AWG (0.0799 mm), where AWG is American Wire Gauge. In this example, each of the wire strands has a diameter of 38 AWG (0.101 mm). Therefore, the Litz wire may have a radius of about 1 mm to about 2 mm. In this example, the Litz wire has a radius of about 1.3 mm to about 1.4 mm.

As shown in FIG. 6, the Litz wire of the first inductor coil 124 is wound about 6.75 times around the shaft 202, and the Litz wire of the second inductor coil 126 is wound about 8.75 times around the shaft 202. It's winding. The Litz wires do not form the full number of turns because some ends of the Litz wire are bent away from the surface of the insulating member 128 before a full turn is completed (see, eg, Figure 10).

Figure 6 shows the gaps between successive turns/turns. These gaps may be, for example, about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

In some examples, each inductor coil 124, 126 has the same pitch, where the pitch is the length of the inductor coil for one complete turn (along the axis 200 of the inductor coil or along the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor). (measured according to ). In other examples, each inductor coil 124, 126 has a different pitch.

In this example, first inductor coil 124 has a mass of approximately 1.4 g and second inductor coil 126 has a mass of approximately 2.1 g.

In one example, the inner diameter of the first and second inductor coils 124, 126, 224, and 226 is approximately 12 mm in length and the outer diameter is approximately 14.3 mm in length.

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram of a method 300 for forming an aerosol presentation device inductor coil. This method may be used to form one or both of the inductor coils 124, 126 described with respect to FIGS. 2-6.

The method includes, at block 302, providing a Litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, where each of the plurality of wire strands includes a bondable coating. For example, a Litz wire may be provided having the parameters described above.

The method further includes, at block 304, forming an inductor coil from Litz wire on a support member, wherein the inductor coil has a predetermined shape. Figure 8 depicts example machinery used to form an inductor coil 400 from Litz wire. As shown, the Litz wire 402 may initially be wound around the bobbin 404 before being unwound and wound around the support member 406. In this example, the drum 408 is rotated and moved parallel to the guide rail 410 causing the Litz wire to be wound helically along the length of the support member 406. The speed at which the drum 408 rotates and moves along the guide rail 410 determines the spacing/gap size between adjacent turns of the inductor coil 400. To form a longer inductor coil 400, the drum 408 can move further along the guide rail 410 (while continuing to rotate). To form the inductor coil 400 with a greater number of turns, the drum 408 can rotate a greater number of times.

Support member 406 has a diameter that substantially corresponds to the diameter of insulating member 128 . Therefore, the support member 406 has an outer cross section that corresponds to that of the insulating member 128. As the Litz wire 402 is wound around the support member 406, an inductor coil 400 having a predetermined shape is formed. Therefore, support member 406 at least partially defines the shape of inductor coil 400. Therefore, the inner cross-section of the inductor coil 400 is substantially the same as the outer cross-section of the support member 406. In this example, support member 406 has a diameter of approximately 12 mm. The Litz wire has a diameter of approximately 1.3 mm, resulting in an outer diameter of the inductor coil of approximately 14.6 mm. Inductor coils with different dimensions can also be formed in the same way.

Once the inductor coil 400 is formed into the desired shape, the method further includes, at block 306, activating the bondable coating such that the inductor coil 400 substantially maintains the predetermined shape. In this example, the Litz wire has an enamel bondable coating and is activated through heating. Accordingly, heat is applied to the inductor coil 400 while the inductor coil 400 remains on the support member 406. In this example, the heated heat is moved over the inductor coil 400. For example, air is heated to an activation temperature suitable to cause the bondable coating to become activated and blown across the inductor coil 400 via a fan or air gun. In one example, the activation temperature is about 190°C. Heat causes the bondable coating to become activated, thereby lowering the viscosity of the bondable coating. After a predetermined period of time, the application of heat is stopped and the bondable coating begins to cool. In some examples, the cooling process can be accelerated by the application of cold air. For example, an air gun or fan can cause cooled/ambient air to flow across the inductor coil. As the temperature of the bondable coating decreases, the viscosity of the bondable coating increases again. This causes the individual wire strands within the Litz wire to join together. In another example, the bondable coating can be activated through contact with a solvent.

After the coupleable coating is activated, the method further includes, at block 308, removing the inductor coil from the support member 406. The bonding process means that the inductor coil 400 substantially maintains its predetermined shape even after the inductor coil 400 is removed from the support member 406. To enable removal from the support member, the inductor coil may be formed of or coated with a material to which the inductor coil is not strongly bonded, such that the inductor coil is also not bonded to the support member during the heating process. . The support member may be made of metal, for example.

The Litz wire stored in bobbin 404 may have a specific laying direction. That is, the strands of individual wires within a Litz wire are twisted in a specific direction. For example, the wire strands may have a left or right laying direction. Preferably, the Litz wire has a laying direction corresponding to the winding direction of the Litz wire on the support member 406. For example, for an inductor coil wound according to the right-hand rule, a Litz wire with a right-hand laying direction must be used. For inductor coils wound according to the left-hand rule, Litz wire with a left-hand laying direction must be used. It has been confirmed that this arrangement prevents the wire strands from unraveling and means that the inductor coil conforms more closely to the outer surface of the insulating member 128.

Inductor coils of different shapes can be formed in substantially the same way. For example, a flat inductor coil can be formed by helically winding a Litz wire while being supported by a suitably shaped support member.

Once inductor coil 400 is formed and removed from support member 406, inductor coil 400 can be assembled into device 100. Therefore, the method may further include receiving the inductor coil 400 on the insulating member 128. For example, inductor coil 400 may slide on insulating member 128. From here, inductor coil 400 may be connected to a power source within device 100.

9 depicts first and second inductor coils 124 and 126 connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) 122. The first inductor coil 124 includes a first connection portion 500a facing the first end 130a of the first inductor coil 124. Therefore, the first connection portion 500a includes a first end 130a. The connection portion 500a forms an electrical connection with the PCB 122 so that the inductor coil 124 can receive electrical power. The first inductor coil 124 also includes a second connection portion 500b facing the second end 130b of the first inductor coil 124. Therefore, the second connection portion 500b includes a second end 130b. The second connection portion 500b also forms an electrical connection with the PCB 122. In some examples, any portion of connecting portions 500a, 500b may be electrically connected to PCB 122 other than ends 130a, 130b.

Similarly, the second inductor coil 126 includes a first connection portion 500c facing the first end 130c of the second inductor coil 126. Therefore, the first connection portion 500c includes a first end 130c. The first connection portion 500c forms an electrical connection with the PCB 122 so that the inductor coil 126 can receive electrical power. The second inductor coil 126 also includes a second connection portion 500d facing the second end 130d of the second inductor coil 126. Therefore, the second connection portion 500d includes a second end 130d. The second connection portion 500d also forms an electrical connection with the PCB 122. In some examples, any portion of connecting portions 500c, 500d may be electrically connected to PCB 122 other than ends 130c, 130d.

Therefore, each inductor coil 124, 126 includes a connection portion arranged at each end. Generally, the connection part is defined as the part of the inductor coil that forms the electrical connection to the power source. More specifically, the connecting portion includes an end of the inductor coil.

As shown in Figure 9, each inductor coil 124, 126 includes two connecting portions, each connecting portion being arranged at an end of the inductor coil. Therefore, the shape of the inductor coils 124 and 126 is determined in part by the connecting portions. Figure 10 depicts a top view of the first and second inductor coils 124, 126, with the first inductor coil 124 positioned at the top.

As shown, both connecting portions of each inductor coil 124, 126 lie in substantially the same plane 600. Accordingly, as shown in Figure 9, the first and second ends of each inductor coil 124, 126 lie/terminate on axis 502 parallel to axis 200 defined by the inductor coils. do. The plane 600 is arranged to be tangential to the inductor coils 124 and 126, so that the plane 600 and the inductor coil 124 are aligned at the point where the plane 602 forms a tangent to the inductor coil 124. An angle of 90 degrees is defined between the radii 602.

Preferably, the method includes, at block 304, bending at least one of the connecting portions such that at least one of the connecting portions lies in the same plane as the other connecting portion. The dashed line in FIG. 10 depicts the second connected portion 500b of the first inductor coil 124 before being bent into position. In this initial position, the second connecting portion 500b extends tangentially away from the helical portion of the inductor coil 124. To form the inductor coil 124, the connecting portion 500b is bent about 90 degrees such that the second end 130b is in the same plane as the first end 130a. The solid line in Figure 10 shows the second connecting portion 500b after being bent into position. In this example, the first connection portion 500a is not bent and extends tangentially from the helical portion of the inductor coil 124. By forming the inductor coils 124 and 126 in this manner, the ends of the inductor coils 124 and 126 can be more easily connected to the PCB 122.

As mentioned, the connection portion allows the inductor coil to be connected to a power source (e.g., via PCB 122). To form suitable electrical contact, the method further comprises dipping/immersing the connection part in solder for a period of time. For example, the ends of the inductor coil are dipped into solder. The molten solder acts to melt or otherwise remove insulation from the plurality of wire strands of the Litz cable, creating a point for good electrical contact.

In this example, if the Litz wire contains approximately 75 individual wire strands with a diameter of 38 AWG (0.101 mm), the solder should be at a temperature of approximately 450° C. and the joints should be dipped into the solder for approximately 4-5 seconds. This ensures that good electrical contact is created. Once the connections are formed, the inductor coil can be connected to a power source (e.g., PCB 122).

The above embodiments should be understood as illustrative examples of the present invention. Additional embodiments of the invention are contemplated. Any feature described in connection with any one embodiment may be used alone or in combination with other features described, as well as one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or of any of the embodiments. It should be understood that it can be used in combination with any combination of others. Moreover, equivalents and modifications not described above may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (15)

A method of forming an aerosol delivery device inductor coil, comprising:
Providing a litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, each of the plurality of wire strands comprising a bondable coating;
forming an inductor coil from the Litz wire on a support member, the inductor coil having a predetermined shape;
activating the couplerable coating so that the inductor coil maintains a predetermined shape; and
A method of forming an aerosol-providing device inductor coil, comprising removing the inductor coil from the support member. According to claim 1,
Wherein forming the inductor coil includes winding the Litz wire around the support member to form a helical inductor coil. According to claim 1 or 2,
The predetermined shape has a connection portion at one or more ends of the inductor coil for connecting the inductor coil to a power source, and
A method of forming an aerosol-providing device inductor coil, the method comprising dipping the connecting portion in solder for a predetermined period of time. According to clause 3,
wherein the predetermined time period is 2 to 6 seconds. According to clause 3,
wherein the solder has a temperature of 400°C to 500°C. According to claim 1 or 2,
Activating the bondable coating comprises heating the bondable coating. According to clause 6,
A method of forming an aerosol-providing device inductor coil, comprising cooling the inductor coil after activating the bondable coating. According to claim 1 or 2,
the predetermined shape comprises two connecting portions, both of the two connecting portions lying in the same plane, and
wherein forming the inductor coil includes bending at least one of the connecting portions such that the connecting portion lies in the plane. According to clause 8,
A method of forming an aerosol delivery device inductor coil, wherein the bending step includes bending it to 90 degrees. According to claim 1 or 2,
The method of claim 1 , wherein winding the Litz wire includes winding the Litz wire 5-9 times around the support member. According to claim 1 or 2,
The method of claim 1, wherein the litz wire has a lay direction, and the forming step includes winding the litz wire in the same direction as the lay direction. According to claim 1 or 2,
A method of forming an aerosol-providing device inductor coil, wherein the bondable coating comprises enamel. An aerosol-providing device induction coil formed from a Litz wire comprising a plurality of wire strands, comprising:
Each of the wire strands has a bondable coating, and
wherein the couplerable coating is activated such that the aerosol-providing device induction coil maintains its shape in the absence of a support member. According to claim 13,
The induction coil has a connecting portion at one end, the connecting portion being coated with solder to make electrical contact with all wire strands of the Litz wire. An aerosol delivery system comprising:
An aerosol-providing device induction coil according to claim 13 or 14; and
An aerosol delivery system comprising an article comprising an aerosol-generating material.